Kangana Ranaut’s historical biographical drama Emergency experienced a decline in its box office performance on its first Monday. According to a report by Sacnilk, the film earned ₹1 crore on Day 4, bringing its total domestic collection to ₹11.35 crore. The movie saw an overall 7.11% Hindi occupancy on January 20.
Set against the backdrop of one of India’s most critical political periods, Emergency portrays the 21-month span from 1975 to 1977 when then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared a state of emergency across the nation. Kangana Ranaut takes on the role of Indira Gandhi, supported by Anupam Kher as Jayaprakash Narayan and Shreyas Talpade as Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The cast also includes Mahima Chaudhry, Milind Soman, Vishak Nair, Ashok Chhabra, and the late Satish Kaushik.
The film, directed by Kangana Ranaut under her banner Manikarnika Films in collaboration with Zee Studios, has faced challenges beyond the box office. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) in Punjab called for a ban on Emergency due to perceived misrepresentation. SGPC chief Harjinder Singh Dhami wrote to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, demanding the film’s screenings be stopped.
This led to limited showings in cities like Ludhiana, Amritsar, Patiala, and Bathinda, with police deployed outside cinemas to maintain order.
Responding to the controversy, Kangana Ranaut expressed her disappointment, calling the move “complete harassment of art and the artist.” She stated, “I have utmost respect for all religions. After growing up in Chandigarh and closely observing Sikhism, this propaganda to tarnish my image and harm my film is entirely baseless.”
While Emergency has received praise for its performances and historical depth, the combination of limited screenings and competition from other releases, like Alia Bhatt’s Jigra, has impacted its overall performance.
The controversy continues to unfold as the film remains a focal point of political and cultural debates.
Sources By Agencies
